Turntable



G. WAALKES Dec 24, 1935.

mzwza TURNTABLE Original Filed Dec. 26, 1953 2 Shets-Sheer. 2

l v h ll B all]! Patented Dec. 24, 1935 UNITED STATES TURN TABLE Gerrit Waalkes, Highland Park, Mich., assignor to Anchor Steel & Conveyor Company, a corporation of Michigan Original application December 26, 1933, Serial No. 703,897. Divided and this application July 5,

1935, Serial No. 29,865

6 Claims.

This invention relates to turntables and particularly to a construction therefor that is simple in construction, efficient in operation and particularly designed to permit ready assemblage and dis-assemblage of the table proper to facilitate shipping and transfer thereof, and is a division of my application for Letters Patent of the United States for improvements in Turntable, filed December 26, 1933, Serial No. 703,897.

Objects of the invention include the provision of a turntable platform of new and novel construction; the provision of a turntable platform made up of a plurality of sections each of which is readily separable from the other; the provi- 15 "sion of a turntable platform that may be readily assembled and dis-assembled; and the provision of a turntable platform that may be readily assembled and dis-assembled and in which the various parts of the turntable are provided with rollers adapted to facilitate transportation of the parts upon disassembly of the turntable.

The above being among the objects of the present invention, the same consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings, and then claimed, having the above and other objects in view.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a suitable embodiment of the present invention and in which like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several different views.

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a suitable embodiment of my improved turntable showing in a more or less diagrammatic manner an automobile supported thereon.

Fig. 2 is a reduced partially broken, partially sectioned plan view of the turntable shown in Fig. 1 with the automobile removed therefrom.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, vertical sectional view taken through the central portion of the turntable shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary, vertical sectional View taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary, vertical sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary, vertical sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Turntable mechanisms may, of course, be provided in any case where it is desired to rotatably support an object without material bodily displacement from a particular spot or location. In recent years the use of turntables for rotatably supporting articles or objects for sales display purposes has considerably increased, and although the application of the present invention is broadly applicable to the entire field of application of turntables, it has been particularly designed with a view of overcoming a material 5 disadvantage particularly applicable to turntables employed for display purposes. As a mat ter of illustration only of one application of the broad invention, the following discussion will be substantally limited to the application of the in- 10 vention for the purpose of rotatably supporting an automobile for display purposes, and it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of the one specific application of the present invention, how the invention may be applied to other specific uses as well as the advantages that will fiow therefrom.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, in Fig. 1 is shown a turntable including a driving and supporting unit indicated generally at IU upon which is carried a platform indicated generally at l2 and which comprises a suitable embodiment of the present invention. As a matter of illustration only, an automobile I4 is shown as being supported on the platform l2, the platform I2 being of a materially greater diameter than the length of the automobile l4 mainly for the purpose of effectiveness of display.

Referring now particularly to Fig. 3 it will be noted that the unit I, which forms no part of the present invention, comprises a circular metallic disc it which may rest directly upon a floor or other surface l8. Supported on and suitably fixed to the disc I6 is a metallic ring or annulus above which is located a secondring or annulus 22 of substantially the same diameter as the ring 20. Positioned in turn, above the ring 22, is a third ring or annulus 24 of substantially the same diameter as the rings 20 and 22. The opposed faces of the rings 20 and 22 are formed to provide centrally thereof opposed circular grooves 26 and 28 respectively of approximately semi-circular cross section and between which a plurality of balls 3?] are received, the balls 38 preferably being present in suflicient numbers as to completely fill these grooves, and of a size to approximately fit the grooves and to maintain the rings 20 and 22 out of actual contact with each other at all times.

The rings 22 and 24 are likewise provided with similar opposed grooves 32 and 34 respectively in their opposed faces between which similar balls 35 are received in a similar manner and which thus maintain the rings 22 and 24 out of contact with each other. The balls and 36 are, of

course, adapted for rolling contact with both the rings 26 and 22 and the rings 22 and 24 respectively and, ther fore, provide rolling anti-friction means between the corresponding rings. Thus the ring 22 is free to rotate with respect to the ring 22 and the ring 24 is free to rotate with respect to the ring 22, the only resistance to such rotation being the frictional resistance to rolling of the balls 36 and 35, which, of course, is relatively small.

In order to prevent sufficient axial displacement of the rings 22, 22 and 24 in service to allow displacement of the balls 22 and 35, a ring member 38 of slightly larger diameter than the ring 24 is positioned around the rings 22 and 24 in outwardly spaced relation thereto and is provided at its upper edge with an inwardly turned flange 39 which overlies the upper surface of the ring 24 and is secured in place thereon by bolts 4!] which also serve an additional purpose to be later described. A plurality of bracket members 44 (shown as four number) are secured to the outer face of the ring member 38 in equally angularly spaced relation and project downwardly therefrom. The lower end of each bracket member is provided with a horizontally disposed and relatively short leg 45 which projects radially inwardly therefrom into a peripheral groove 46 provided in the periphery of the lower ring 29. The groove 45 is of such proportion that when the apparatus is in its normal operative position the inwardly projecting legs 45 of the bracket members 44 are located in amply spaced relation with respect to the walls of the groove '46 and are adapted to contact therewith only under exceptional conditions, as for instance, when an excessive load is applied to an extreme edge of the turntable platform or when it is attempted to pick up the turntable through one of the races 22 or However, it may be noted that the rings 25, 22, and 24, where the turntable is to be employed for supporting automobiles as herein considered, are preferably of a diameter between three and four feet so that the turntable will be able to withstand a considerably large off-center weight distribution thereon without becoming cooked, and accordingly the ring member and brackets 44 will serve mainly to preventseparation of the parts during handling. V

A relatively deep ring member 48 projects downwardly into the assembly of the rings 20, 22 and 24'to a position substantially flush with the lower edge of the ring 22 from which it is spaced by a spacing member 52 and to which it is secured by screws 52. The ring 48 projects upwardly a material distance above the upper ring 24, and is provided on its inner surface adjacent its upper brackets 54 which serve as a means for securing and supporting the cross 56 thereon. The cross 56, as best indicated in Fig. 3, has four radially extending arms the outer ends of which rest on and are secured to corresponding brackets 54. The central portion of the cross 55 is fixed to the flange 58 on the hub 29 which in turn is non-rotatably secured to the vertically extending driven shaft of a speed reduction mechanism indicated generally at 64. This speed reduc- 7 tion mechanism may be of any conventional type such as may be bought on the open market, the only important requirement being that it is capable of providing the desired ratio of reduction between the driving motor and the turntable. In the present instance the speed reduction unit 64 is shown as being supported on the disc or base l6 and is secured in place thereon by means of bolts 66 and nuts 58.

A driving motor i8 is also located within the ring assembly 20, 22, and 24 and is secured to the base I6 by bolts 12 and nuts 14, it being provided with a pulley 16 which drivingly engages a belt 18 also trained over a pulley 89 fixed to the driving shaft 82 of the speed reduction unit 64.

From the description so far given it will be apparent that rotation of the motor pulley I6 will result in a correspondingly lower rate of rotation of the driven shaft 62 of the speed reduction unit 64 and rotation of the shaft 62 will cause equal rotation of the cross 55, ring member 48 and ring member 22. In accordance with the present invention the weight to be supported by the turntable is conducted to the upper ring member 24 which, as will be apparent, is connected with the driven element 22 of the turntable only through the intermediary of the balls 35. The weight imposed upon the ring 24 will, of course, be transmitted through the balls 36 to the driven ring 22 and thence from the driven ring 22 through the balls 86 to the supporting ring 20 and thence to 25 the floor IS. The driven ring 22 is, therefore, capable of being rotated by the driving mechanism even though both rings 26 and 24 are stationary and the only resistance which will be offered to such rotation of the driving ring 22 30 will be the rolling friction of the balls 32 and 36 in their respective grooves and which resistance, as will be obvious, will be relatively negligible in a properly designed structure.

If no resistance is offered to rotation of the 85 ring .24 while the ring 22 is rotated, the ring 24 will, of course, rotate equally with the ring 22 and in such case the only resistance that the driving mechanism must overcome is the rolling friction of the lower balls 30. The rolling friction 40 of the upper balls 36 in such case Will cause the upper ring 24 to rotate therewith together with any objects that may be supported on the upper ring 24. While the ring 24 and any objects supported thereby is rotating with the ring 22, it will be apparent that should the rotation of the upper ring 24 and the objects supported thereby be restrained from such rotation, or varied in rate of rotation with respect to the ring 24, the

only added resistance that will be placed upon 5 I ance of the balls 36 will be so small as to be negligible from all practical purposes, the driving mechanism will continue to drive the driving ring 22 as though no such variation in their relative rate of rotation between the rings 22 and 24 had occurred. Accordingly, no damage to the line of drive between the motor 10 and the ring 24 can possibly occur in this construction because of stoppage of the platform. As soon as any such resistance to rotation of the ring 24 and the objects carried thereby is relieved, the ring 24 will again rotate equally with the ring 22, although a slight initial rolling of the balls 36 may occur until the rolling friction thereof has had sufficient time to overcome the static inertia of the ring 24 and the object carried. Ordinarily it is desirable that the turntable be provided with a supporting platform and the figures of the drawing illustrate a novel type of platform constructed in accordance with the present invention. Such platforms, as will be readily recognized, because of the relatively large amount of over-hang which they are liable to have with respect to the unit I must be of extremely substantial construction particularly where they are tosupport a relatively heavy weight such as an automobile. For this reason, these platforms are usually of relatively heavy construction and present a serious problem in connection with their transportation, particularly where it is desired to move the turntable and the platform from place to place at more or less frequent intervals, and this particularly so because they are usually formed as a single piece and cannot be readily dis-assembled. In accordance with the present invention, the platform is so constructed that it forms acomplete unit built up of a plurality of separate or subsidiary units or assemblages each of which as a unit may be applied to or removed from the main unit.

In accordance with a further phase of the present invention, each of these separate subsidiary units is preferably provided with castors or the like whereby as each subsidiary unit is disconnected from the main unit it is provided with its own independent wheels or rollers permitting it to be manually handled and moved with ease. Additionally, these castors are preferably so located with respect to the platform that although they are ordinarily out of contact with the supporting surface for the turntable during normal operation thereof, should the platform become momentarily cocked or displaced from its true normal position as, for instance, by the mere application of an unusual load on one edge vthereof, the casters will contact with the supporting surface and limit the tilting movement of the platform until such condition is corrected.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, it will be noted that a pair of parallel I-beams 92 are disposed on diametrically opposite sides of the unit I0 and rest on the upper face of the flange 39 seated upon the upper ring 24 and are secured in position thereto by the bolts 40 which, as previously explained, are employed for securing the ring member 33 in place. Arranged on diametrically opposite sides of the unit I0 in perpendicular relationship with respect to the beams 92 is another pair of parallel I-beams 94 resting on the upper face of the flange 39 and secured to the ring 24 by the bolts 49 previously described. The beams 94 are of a length to fit between the beams 92 and are secured thereto at their ends. Angularly disposed corner bracket members 95, preferably of angle or beam-like formation, inter-connect the adjacent ends of the beams 92 and 94 and also rest upon and are secured to the upper surface of the flange 39. Thus the members 92, 94, and 96 form an octagcnal frame which surrounds the ring 48 in outwardly spaced relation with respect thereto and seats upon and is secured to the upper face of the ring 24 through the intermediary of the flange 39. I

Referring to Fig. 2, it will be noted that the members 92 project outwardly beyond the beams 94, and secured to the under face of the outwardly projecting ends and in perpendicular relation to the length thereof are two parallel I-beams 98 disposed on opposite sides of the unit 50 and terminating short of the periphery of the table I 2. Supported transversely of the beams 98 and resting on the upper surfaces thereof on opposite sides of the unit It are two longitudinally unbroken track members indicated generally in Fig. 2 as at I00. Each of these track members, as best indicated in Fig. 3, comprises a pair of spaced parallel I-beams I02 and I04, the webs of which are joined together by bracket members I06. The track members I00 extend across the full width of the platform I2 and the 5 upper flanges of each of the I-beams I02 and I04 thereof are connected together by a metal plate I08 which not only acts to further tie the I-beams I02 and I04 together and enhance the general strength of the structure but also to form direct 10 weight supporting surfaces for the wheels ofthe automobile which is to be mounted upon the platform. It may be noted in passing that the upper surfaces of the I-beams I02 and I04 are preferably flush with the upper surfaces of the I-beams 92, 94, and 99 which. in turn are preferably slightly elevated with respect to the upper surfaces of the cross 56. The inner I-beams I04 of the track I00 are connected together by cross members I00 and end members III curved to conform to the peripheral curvature of the platform and, in View of the fact that the track members I 00 are removably secured to the beams 98 by suitable means such as bolts H2 (see Fig. 5) the track members together with their cross connecting members H0 and III form a unitary assemblage which is applicable to and removable from the assembly as such.

Resting upon and secured to the upper face of each of the beams 98, between the tracks I00 and also outwardly of the tracks I06, are. channel members H3. Referring to Fig. 4 it will be noted that the channel members 5 I3 are so positioned that the free edges of their flanges are located in substantially the plane of the web of the corresponding beam 90, and as indicated best in Fig. 2, the channels M3 on opposite sides of the unit it and outwardly of the tracks I99 are connected together by cross members I M and end members I I 5 curved to conform to the peripheral curvature of the turntable. By reason of the fact that the channels IIB are connected to the beams 99 and the beams 99 are secured to the beams 92, 94, and 99, and the beams 92, 94, and 96 are removably secured to the ring 24 of the unit I0, these members in turn form another unitary assemblage applicable to and removable as such from the unit I0 and remainder of the turntable.

Each of the upper surfaces of the beams 98 outwardly of the tracks E09 and on that side thereof unoccupied by the channels II3 serves as a supporting surface for a channel member lit positioned in opposed relation to the corresponding channel member I I3. As indicated best in Fig. 5 outwardly of the beams 93, the lower faces of the beams I92 are provided with plates I 59 which project outwardly therefrom with respect to the corresponding beam 594. Upon the outwardly projecting portion of each of the plates 69 v I I8 is removably received a channel member I20 which extends inwardly and is joined to the inner end of the correspondin channel H6. Corresponding channels I29 and H9 are joined by a diagonal brace II2 intermediate their ends and their outer ends are connected by the curved channel member I24 forming a portion of the periphery of the platform. As will be observed, each of the channels IE5 with its cooperating channel I29, brace I and segment 524 forms 70 a unitary assemblage applicable to and removable from the turntable as such. A wooden or other covering I25 is preferably provided for each of the unitary assemblages forming a part of the. whole turntable platform as above described, and

this covering is preferably so shaped that when assembled in place on a completed turntable platform a substantially unbroken surface is presented.

Although not essential, if desired each of the curved channel members II, I I5, and I24 mar be provided with two or more downwardly projecting castor assemblies I28 on the lower face thereof, and each of the segmentally shaped corner assemblies including the channels H6 and I20 and members I22 provided with one such castor at the juncture of the channels I I and I20. These casto-rs are of such a height that during normal operation of the turntable they are materially spaced from the floor I8 so as to be perfectly free of contact therewith, and are provided mainly for the purpose of providing rollers or wheels for the individual assemblies going to make up the turntable platform so that each of these assemblies, when the platform is dis-assembled, may be rolled to a desired location on the castors without requiring additional means for supporting the weights of these assemblies. In View of the fact that these assemblies are each relatively heavy and often times diflicult to handle the castors thus materially aid in the facility with which the turntable may be transported from place to place.

The castors I23 do form an added function when the platform is assembled in that should, for some reason or other, an unusual amount of weight be applied to one edge of the turntable the casters will contact with the floor I8 before the platform I2 has become cocked to such a de- "gree as to cause damage to the mechanism, and

in this manner they serve an added safety function. It is to be understood, however, that contact of the casters I28, except in such unusual conditions as above described, is never desired during operation of the turntable for the reason that the drag at the periphery of the platform which would thus be set up by contact of one or more of the casters I23 with' the floor I8 would in many cases be sufficient to overcome the rolling friction of the upper row of balls 36 and thereby stop rotation of the platform I2.

From the above it will be observed that in accordance with the present invention a turntable platform structure of novel formation is provided by means of which a platform may be quickly assembled and/or dis-assembled and the unitary parts thereof transported with ease and dispatch.

Formal changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention described without departing from the spirit or substance of the broad invention, the scope of which is commensurate with the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a turntable platform structure, in combination, a central supporting structure for transferringv the weight of said platform and its load to a turning mechanism, a pair of straight parallel beam structures secured to the under face of said central supporting structure and extending beyond opposite sides thereof, a second pair of spaced parallel beam structures supported on the upper face of the first mentioned pair of beam structures in perpendicular relation with respect there-to, m ans including flooring connecting said second pair of beam structures together and fixing them in relation to one another, said second pair of beam structures and said means being removably secured to the first mentioned pair of beam structures, and unitary platform sections, each including a portion of a floor for said platform, supported by and removably secured to at least one of said pairs of beam structures whereby to complete the surface continuity of said platform structure.

2. In a turntable platform structure, in combi- 5 nation, a central supporting structure for transferring the weight of said platform and its load to a turning mechanism, a pair of spaced parallel beam structures secured to said central supporting structure and extending beyond opposite 10 sides thereof, a second pair of spaced parallel beam structures supported on the first mentioned pair of beam structures in perpendicular relationship with respect thereto, means fixing said second pair of beam structures together, said sec- 0nd pair of beam structures and said means being removably secured to said first mentioned pair of beam structures, and unitary platform sections removably secured to and supported by at least one of said pairs of beam structures.

3. In a turntable platform structure, in combination, a pair of spaced parallel beam structures secured in fixed relationship with respect to each other, a second pair of spaced parallel beam structures secured together in spaced relationship and disposed in crossed relationship with respect to the first mentioned pair of beams and supported thereby, and segmentally shaped beam structures removably received between and. supported by adjacent ends of said pairs of beam structures.

4. In a turntable platform structure, in combination, a pair of unitary crossed supporting structures removably secured to one another,

flooring on one of said structures, a plurality of unitary minor supporting sections removably secured to at least one of said crossed supporting structures'and flooring carried by each of said minor supporting structures in flush relationship with respect to the first mentioned flooring, said 40 minor supporting structures cooperating with at least one of said crossed supporting structures to complete the perimeterical continuity of said platform structure.

5. In a turntable mechanism, in combination, a supporting surface, a driving unit on said surface, a platform rotatably supported and driven by said driving unit, said platform comprising a plurality of unitary assemblages each applicable to and removable from its cooperating unitary assemblages as such in' the assembly and disassembly of said platform, and a plurality of rollers permanently associated with each of said unitary assemblages and normally positioned in spaced relation with respect to said supporting surface when said platform is assembled on said driving 'unit, said rollers forming rolling supports for each of said assemblages upon said surface upon separation of said assemblages from said platform structure.

6. In a turntable platform structure, in combination, a. pair of spaced parallel beam structures rigidly secured together, a second pair of parallel spaced beam structures rigidly secured together and arranged in crossed relationship with respect to the first mentioned pairs of beam structures and supported thereby, each of said second pair of beam structures comprising a pair of parallel beams and a rigid supporting surface secured thereto, segmentally shaped beam structures supported by and received between adjacent ends of said pairs of beam structures, and a covering for said platform structure.

GERRIT WAALKES. 

